The New Son of Trigon
by TheOnyxRanger
Summary: The Demon King, Trigon, has been defeated, but will he really give up so easily? After sixteen years of watching, waiting, and planning, will he truly allow his plans to be thwarted just like that? The greatest conquerors always have a contingency.
1. Chapter 1

Teen Titans and its associated copyrights are the properties of their respective owners.

As far as I know, the only part of this that I own is the Mysterious Figure, whose name shall be revealed at a later point in the story.

If anything else comes up, you'll be the first to know, I promise.

* * *

The New Son of Trigon

Chapter One.

"_They think me defeated. They think me destroyed. They have the __**arrogance**_ _to believe that they know how I think._

_They are wrong._

_Failure is __**always **__a possibility._

_I__** always **__have a contingency._

_Through the Pheonix I will rise again!"_

* * *

August 3, 2005

Jump City

Dawn.

The figure stalked through the side streets and alleys of the city, dark red hood pulled up over his head through the collar of a dark, cracked leather jacket.

_Three more blocks, please, just three more blocks._

The figure looked up, then hastily dropped his gaze again as a police cruiser rolled past, the officer at the wheel thankfully facing the opposite side of the street where a loitering group of degenerate-looking young men and women collectively tensed at the scrutiny.

_Thank God._

Feeling a kink in his neck, the figure subtly rolled his neck, flexing his powerful muscles, unused to the dark energies he could sense just beneath the surface.

_It burned. God, it burned. Hale, barely hiding his pain, sprinted to the bathroom at the end of the hall, and threw open the valve to release the flow of water._

Self-consciously, the figure reached up to touch his face, reliving the pain as though it were happening again.

_The water wasn't working! Every second, the pain only escalated. Desperate, Hale spun and looked in the broken mirror on the floor behind him. What greeted him stoked the flames of terror growing within his heart._

_ Lines and designs, shining with the fury of a small sun, showed on his face. At the forehead, a stylized bird, with wings reaching down either side of his eyes to frame his face. Above the bird, however, was an even more horrifying sight. The skin of his forehead just between his eyebrows, began to split._

_ A small blue gem, brighter than any of the lines or... or... tattoos... revealed itself. It seemed to bleed energy and, as his physical body shut down out of sheer pain, he could feel his mind rending itself apart._

The figure shuddered at the memory.

_Two more blocks. Just two more._

A sudden series of shouts and angry cries from back up the street interrupted the figures thoughts. As he turned, he could see that the officer from before had stopped his car, and was now in the process of being beaten by the large group of teenagers, four of whom were holding him as two proceeded to unload their fury into his stomach.

A pang of empathy and anger wormed its way into the figure's mind, suddenly blossoming into a raging fury.

_ No! No! NO! I don't __**want **__to feel it! I don't __**want **__it to hurt! __**Stop!**_

The figure clutched his head, forcing the anger down.

_Can't let it out. Have to control it. Can't let anyone else get hurt. Can't let anyone else die._

_ Not like Mom._

Having suppressed his intense fury, the figure spun on his heel to hastily continue toward his initial goal.

_Focus. Focus!_

Just as he rounded the corner and the officer's pained grunts began to fade, a massive, gut-wrenching concussive wave knocked him off his feet, instantly followed by a sharp crack and a shower of flaming debris.

_Focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus-_

"Hahahahahahahahaha! Once again, I, Control Freak, have committed an ultimate crime! One surely worthy of televised recognition! Now that I have the attention of the viewing public, it's time for the **real** show to begin! Hahahahahahahahahaha!"

A large, redheaded, freckled man in a dark jacket swaggered out of the charred facade of the former electronics store he had just destroyed, waving a small black box around as he did so.

_Damn! Of all the times for one of these __**stupid **__ meta-humans to attack a meaningless target in the middle of the ghetto-_

"Now, where are my nemeses, the Teen Titans? Today is my day of reckoning! They may have beaten me once, or twice... or was it three times...? Anyway! Today I will finally..."

The figure struggled to his feet, clutching his throbbing head, and braced himself against the nearest wall. Tuning out the voice of the maniac atop the pile of rubble across the street, he focused instead on the comforting presence of the energized gem in his forehead, using its power to help calm the raging emotional maelstrom within his mind. Aggression warred with logic, anger with confusion, pain with curiosity. In that moment, a new voice filled the air, breaking the figures concentration and attracting his attention.

This new voice held an authority unlike anything the figure had ever heard, and a strength of purpose that belied the seemingly unimposing source.

"The show's been cancelled, Control Freak. Looks like you're Day of Reckoning will have to be rescheduled."

The new voice was coming from the direction of the officer and, when the figure turned to look at the new arrival, he saw not one, but five young men and women standing in a staggered line. It looked as though they had just incapacitated the other group of youngsters, as the officer was back up on his feet and catching his breath, standing over his ex-tormentors.

The new group was composed of a large, African-American man, the majority of whose body appeared to be covered in metal, a small, green-skinned meta with pointed ears, a tall, flame-haired girl with glowing green eyes, and their leader, the source of the authoritative quip; a young, costumed man with dark hair and a black mask.

The most intriguing, however, was the fifth member of the group. A young woman dressed in a dark blue cloak, beneath which was concealed a form-fitting black leotard.

As the figure scanned what had to be the aforementioned "nemeses" of the large man, or "Control Freak," his eyes stopped on this woman. In an instant, his entire focus shifted to her, and all of his powerful emotions began to reassert themselves: this time, however, they all had a single, tangible target.

Her.

"Titans, **GO!**"

* * *

Raven levitated in place beside Starfire, glaring at Control Freak and preparing to release a minute amount of her father's intense power, only held back by Two Little Words. Two Words that had, in the past three years, become synonymous with action. With the Demon defeated, she had recently begun testing the limits of her emotional control in battle by allowing some of her stronger emotions to show. Any second now, Robin would say Those Words, and she would trap the Freak in his own personal Hell.

"Titans, **GO!**"

With that, Raven and Starfire blurred into motion, whipping through the air at near-mach speeds. Beast Boy would no doubt have transformed into some jungle cat or bird, and she could see and hear Cyborg and Robin's Sonic Cannon and Birdarangs reverberating and impacting the area of and near the Freak, respectively.

As she closed in on her target she began to slacken the tight hold over her emotions, and allowed her Anger to assert itself. Weakened after the defeat of Trigon, Anger was an ideal choice for her tests. It was quick to rise to the top of her mind, easy to relinquish control to, and she had enough experience repressing it around Beast Boy that she felt confident in her ability to subdue this particular division of her mind.

Having determined the amount of energy she was willing to release, Raven drew back her arms and prepared to strike, chanting under her breath.

"Azarath..."

_Closer..._

"Metrion..."

_Closer..._

"Zinthos!"

Talons of dark black energy sprang from each hand, engulfing Control Freak in shadow, even as he was still reeling from the initial attacks of her teammates.

_Honestly, what could this idiot have possibly hoped to accomplish with this? He didn't even try to zap us with his stupid remote this time. And what is up with the whole "Day of Reck-_

"Raven! Look out!"

Even before Cyborg's frantic warning had reached her ears, Raven had already sensed the intense spike of emotional energy and pirouetted away, shoving the Freak in the opposite direction. Finishing her spin, she found purchase on a chunk of asphalt and her gaze settled on the source of the attack. Even without actively focusing, her empathy was nearly overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the aggressive, negative emotion being directed her way by the unknown figure on the other side of the road. He was clearly a meta of some kind. A powerful one, if the initial attack was any indication. In her peripheral vision she could see that much of the rubble from the initial explosion had not only been significantly resized, but now it was spread all along the road for dozens of feet in every direction.

"Failed One!"

She returned her attention to the figure. Something about his voice had seemed... off. It was almost... familiar...

"You possess His power! You are unfit to wield it! I will cleanse your filth from his darkness!"

The figure lifted his head, and Raven nearly lost her precarious footing as she finally saw her attacker's face.

Framed by a white, glowing tattoo of a bird, was a pair of slanted, red eyes.

Directly below the eyes was a matching pair, glaring into her very soul with tangible hatred.

Raven's mind was racing. Who was this man? Why was he here? Why could she feel the Rage of Trigon coursing through him? Above all, why was he showing up **now**? She felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder, and turned to see her leader, a concerned look on his face.

"He knows who you are, and who your father is. How do you want to handle this?" Robin asked, clearly more concerned about the new threat than the overweight man cowering near the collapsed storefront.

"I... I don't know." Raven replied, and turned back toward the figure, incredulous at the recent developments. How was any of this possible? After several seconds of simply staring into the figures eyes, she spoke with renewed clarity. "Take him. I think we should figure out how he knows about me, and why he is-"

"**SILENCE!**" The demonic cry echoed along the streets, resonating far longer than it should have. "You have delayed long enough, Failed One. I shall remove His gift from you the only way I can- by ending your life!" With that the figure launched himself forward, sailing across the road and trailing a sickly, black energy, flecks of red showing themselves on the fringes of his power.

Raven brought up a hand, and a dome of shadow materialized around herself and her human leader and friend. The figure slammed into the dome, planting both hands on it, never once losing eye contact with the focus of his fury. Energy began to emanate from his palms, spreading across the dome and engulfing it in a blanket of crimson stars. Raven allowed a slight grin to tug at her lips at the weak display of power.

Her confidence faltered a bit, however, as the energy began to seep into the dome, and sparks of red intermittently dropped from the ceiling of the construct. Not having expected a challenge, she intensified the power of the shield, once again satisfied with her defense.

A second later, though, a wicked smirk appeared on her attacker's face. For the first time since the beginning of the conflict, the aggressor closed his eyes, and began to breathe deeply.

_Is he..._

The figure's eyes snapped open, and his smile grew.

_He is!_

The dome vanished, as well as the opposing energy, only to reappear. This time, it was about thirty feet in diameter and surrounded all three of them.

Three?

_Where are the others?_

"Your friends can't help you. Nobody can. Not even the bird boy."

Raven glanced over at Robin. The Boy Wonder was still on his feet, but he wasn't moving. He was shielding his face with his cape in his left hand, and holding Raven's own in his right.

_Oh._

_ Oh!_

_ Not yet, Robin..._

"Who are you?" Raven blurted out. She had wanted to wait until the Titans had him in custody before questioning him, but she had to distract him, and her curiosity got the better of her.

"Who I am is of no importance. What matters now is that I destroy **you**!" The figure's eyes flared with power, wisps of tainted darkness bleeding from his body as he stalked toward her. "**Traitor! Failure! Defiler of Darkness!**" With that final howl, he lunged, his hood falling back as he did so, allowing her a clear view of his face. It also granted her a view of the deep-blue chakra gem centered on his forehead, and the jet-black hair flowing down from the crown of his head and along his back.

_So, it's like that, is it? Fine. I'll play along._

_ Until I get you right where Robin wants you._

* * *

**_ KILL HER._**

**_ DESTROY HER._**

**_ SHE DOESN'T DESERVE THE POWER._**

**_ NOT LIKE YOU._**

The thoughts bombarded the figure's mind, overshadowing all others.

**_SHE STANDS TALL AFTER THROWING HIM INTO THE ABYSS._**

**_ REMOVE THE TAINT._**

_ NO!_

_**DO NOT RESIST.**_

Flashes of combat, streaks of red and black, sudden pains and images of the Dark Girl he had seen earlier filled his own thoughts. The... other... in his mind having assumed control of his body

**_IF YOU WILL NOT SUBMIT, YOU WILL BE SILENCED._**

_Get. Out. Of. My. HEAD!_

With an exertion of willpower he didn't know he possessed, the figure mentally forced the invading presence to the back of his mind, and used the precious opening he had created to reassert his own power over his physical form.

The pain of his injuries flooded into him, as physical sensations assailed his senses, and he found himself tumbling through the air. Apparently, his opponent had taken the second's hesitation caused by his own internal battle to gain the upper hand in the external one. His aerial journey came to an abrupt halt, as his back struck the wall of some sort of energy dome surrounding the girl and himself. The third occupant seemed to be frozen, as he had yet to move from the position he had been in since the figure had regained control.

Without the concentrated emotional power that had created it, the dome began to dissolve, revealing a world that seemed to be moving so slowly as to not be moving at all. As he watched, though, the three figures in the street that seemed to have their attention focused in his direction were gradually increasing in speed: the large metallic man ran a bit faster, the strange green bird soared a bit more quickly, and the flame-haired girl flew a bit more swiftly with each passing moment. Now, if only he knew what had slowed them in the fir-

"Hyaah!"

The sharp battle cry pierced his confused musings. During his inattentive re-acclimation, the bird-themed young man who had at first appeared as frozen as an ice cube had, apparently, ceased his deception and launched a flying kick at the figure. A heavy impact wracked his senses and sent him skidding across the street, back toward his initial observation point.

The figure, now with a splitting, pounding headache even stronger than usual, staggered to his feet.

* * *

Raven grimaced as Robin's booted foot impacted the strange young man's head. Through her empathic senses, she actually _felt_ each individual jolt of pain as he skidded to a stop on the other side of the street.

_Why am I feeling this so intensely? My powers shouldn't be acting up like this. Why do I seem to have such ease sensing his emotions and feelings that it happens without me being able to control it?_

She didn't get a chance to continue her train of thought, as her mind was struck by an inexplicable, intense, irrational **FEAR.** It took her a few seconds to realize that this... powerful feeling wasn't hers, and didn't belong in her mind. She quashed the foreign emotion, and returned her attention to this mysterious tattooed man, finally ready to get some answers.

Only to see him start to float into the air, and dart away just as Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy, now returned to full speed, arrived at her side.

After a few seconds of silence, Cyborg asked the obvious question.

"Rae? Who was that guy?"

"Yeah," Beast Boy seconded, "he totally seemed to know who you are! And he had powers like yours!"

"Please, friends, if she knew any pertinent information about what has just transpired, I believe she would have informed us already." Starfire paused, "Right, Friend Raven?"

"Of course she would, Star." Robin intervened on Raven's behalf, as she was still trying to understand what had happened, herself.

"Well, whatever he is, I got a trace on his energy signature. We should be able to follow him." Cyborg raised his arm for all to see, and a clearly marked path overlaid itself on a GPS layout of the city.

"Come on, let's find him before he gets away." With that, Robin pressed a button on his belt, and the sound of squealing tires on asphalt heralded the arrival of his R-Cycle.

"Raven, Star, I want you two in the air. Keep an eye out for him and if you find him, call for backup. Don't engage him alone." He turned to the others, "Beast Boy, see if you can track him. That way we can still find him if we lose the energy trail. Cyborg, lead the way in the T-Car."

"You got it boss. And, for the record," He turned to the resident jokester, "my tracking systems are gonna kick your butt!"

"Yeah, right! I'll find him before you can even start your car!" BB replied, shifting into a bloodhound and proceeding to search the area for a scent.

Raven, however, found her thoughts returning to the last few seconds of the fight.

_Why did he run away? All of those taunts, and that incredible power... he almost acted like a completely different person. And that fear..._

With her mind weighed down by those heavy thoughts, she levitated into the sky, and vanished into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Notes! Alright, sorry this took so long. I tried to post sooner, but there were a few life-issues to work out first. In any case, the next one shouldn't take anywhere near as long. Why, you may ask? Because I already have it pretty much planned out.

Also, because I said so.

One last thing: I went back and made a few changes to the first chapter- nothing major, just forgot to add the horizontal lines for scene breaks, so the flow was off. It's better now.

Reviews, comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated!

Read on!

* * *

The New Son of Trigon

Chapter Two.

August 3, 2005

Jump City

Circling high above the city, scanning the rooftops and streets for signs of chaos as she followed the trail uploaded to her communicator by her cybernetic teammate, Starfire couldn't help but ponder the stark similarities between this new foe and her good friend Raven. Why had he come out of nowhere and become so fixated on her? Of course, there were his stated reasons, to "cleanse her filth from his darkness," whatever that meant. What could he have been referring to?

_The bird-faced figure called her "Failed One." Could he have been speaking of the defeat of the demon, Trigon? What a horrible being. Are they somehow connected? Wasn't Trigon forever eliminated by Friend Raven?_

Her thoughts were interrupted as their very subject pulled up alongside her, dark blue cloak billowing in the wind as the two of them soared together. Starfire, unable to restrain herself any longer, glanced over at her teammate and prepared to ask the obvious question.

"No."

Stunned by her friend's sudden decision to break the silence- before _she_ could, at least- Starfire gave the appropriate response.

"Wha- What? Friend Raven, you do not know the question I was about to pose!"

"Yes, I do. You were going to ask if I knew who that was. The answer is no."

"How could this be? He made it quite known that he is well informed of your identity, and he appeared to be implying that he also had a connection to a demonic being, possibly your father!"

Raven's face twisted in anger- _Odd, _Starfire noted, _she is usually very focused on maintaining control of her emotions._- then quickly settled back into her usual neutral expression.

"There is no way he could be connected to that... **thing**... that we sealed away. He is gone. Any other connections or remnants of his power died with him."

Starfire was confused by this.

"Dear Friend, is not your own power a remnant or connection to Trigon?"

Raven sighed, clearly uncomfortable with discussing this subject.

"Well, Starfire, as you know, my mother was human, and my father was... not. I am half-demon. Much of my power was inherited from Trigon, however, over the course of my life I have trained and honed my abilities beyond what he had initially given me. While my normal power levels are insignificant compared to him, I am, on occasion, capable of great feats. My point it, my power is my own, and I no longer have any connection to him."

Satisfied with her comrade's explanation, Starfire decided to let the ensuing silence last.

Until the pair's communicators beeped simultaneously.

* * *

"**This** is where the Big Bad Bird Guy lives?" Beast Boy's disbelieving query echoed the thoughts of his fellow Titans.

The Teens had followed their quarry to an old, dilapidated apartment building just a few blocks from where they had just been fighting the mysterious figure. The building itself was so far beyond the need for condemnation that the fact that it was still standing defied all logic.

"C'mon BB, my scanners led us right here, or can't your _amazing_ sense of smell tell us this is where he went?" Cyborg reminded his small friend of his triumph (in the most subtle way possible, of course.)

Grumbling incoherently under his breath, the shapshifter turned to his blue-hooded compatriot.

"Hey, Rae, can't you, like, sense him in there or something? Or teleport us through the wall?"

Exasperated, Raven fired a completely neutral and utterly anger free expression directly into the eyes of the Little Green Man.

This terrified him even more than the horror-movie-marathon incident.

"Stop calling me Rae. And no, I can't sense _him_ in there, but I can sense his power. He may have drawn his presence in to hide from us. I know he's in there, but I don't know exactly where. As for your second question, yes, I can move us into the structure, but without knowing exactly where to take us, there wouldn't be a point."

"_Ah-heemm!_" The sound of a three- hundred eighty pound cybernetic teenager clearing his throat caught the attention of the entire group.

"Did y'all already forget about me already? Seriously, guys. I tracked him here, I have a lock on his energy signature, I know exactly where he is!" The Metallic Man sputtered, seeming genuinely insulted by his friend's forgetfulness.

"Good job, Cyborg. Raven, if Cyborg shows you his location, can you get us there?" The Boy Wonder turned his attention her way.

"Of course. Should I move us directly to him or-"

"Move us directly outside of the door leading to the apartment he's in." The masked young man interrupted the cloaked Titan, his tone of voice indicating that the time for arguments and objections had passed, and the time for action had arrived.

Glancing at Cyborg's arm-mounted display, Raven strode into the middle of the group as her eyes began to burn with black light. She threw out her arms, and a large black bird shot up out of the ground and screeched into the night. Its wings enveloped the Teens and the whole thing melted into the pavement, leaving only the soft glow of the rising sun in their wake.

* * *

_ Why? Why did they have to be there? Why did I go off like that ? What the Hell was I doing?_

The figure darted about the small apartment that had become his impromptu home over the past few weeks, gathering what few personal belongings he had and stuffing them into a sling bag, which he then threw over his shoulder and cinched tight. Taking one last moment to survey the room, he dropped onto a chair and focused on regaining his sanity. Breathing deeply, he chanted on the exhale:

"Action Is A Reflection Of Emotion..."

_Inhale..._

"Action Is A Reflection Of Emotion..."

_Exhale..._

"Action Is A Reflection Of Emotion..."

_Focus..._

"Action Is A Reflection Of-"

*Crash!*

"**_Booyah!_**"

_ What the Hell..?_

The young man's eyes shot open and swung over to the door...

...which was now lying on the floor with a large, half-metal teen standing on it and pointing what looked suspiciously like an arm-mounted cannon directly at him. His eyes widened even further as four more figures hurriedly entered the room beside him, leaving a claustrophobically small amount of space remaining in the already-too-small room. Black telekinetic energy, a trio of razor sharp Birdarangs, a jaguar's claws, the whine of a fully charged sonic cannon, and the green light of well formed starbolts returned his gaze.

At the sight of the Hooded Girl, he felt the rage he had tried so fervently to suppress start to resurface, and so he began again.

* * *

"Action Is A Reflection Of Emotion..."

Action Is A Reflection Of Emotion..."

_What is he doing?_

"Action Is A Reflection Of Emotion..."

_Is he..._

"Action Is A Reflection Of Emotion..."

_Meditating?_

The figure, hood down, hadn't moved from where he sat, cross-legged in dusty chair, since the Titans had entered the room. Other than a surprised look, he had barely even acknowledged their presence. Raven took a tentative step forward, gathering her power and staying on her guard as she did so.

"Action Is A Reflection Of Emotion..."

A strong hand settled on her shoulder, halting her movement. She turned her head and caught Starfire's concerned eye. Star held her gaze for a moment, then nodded. Raven returned the nod, a thousand unspoken words passing between the two friends in an instant. Raven turned to face the man again, and closed the remaining distance between them. As she got within arm's reach, his eyes snapped open. Raven tensed, and prepared to throw up a defensive shield at the first sign of hostility.

The man chose that exact moment to do the polar opposite of what everyone in the room was expecting.

"Please, I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt anyone, I don't know what happened. Won't you just..."

_He seems so.. so..._

"...help me?"

_...Sincere..._

The young man slowly uncrossed his legs and raised his arms, standing as he did so. Clearly in pain, he grimaced as he stood, then suddenly collapsed to his knees. Raven grabbed him as he fell, and Robin was at her side before the strange young man hit the ground, a pair of meta-cuffs in his hands.

"What are you doing? He needs our help, and that won't stop him, anyway." As if to accentuate her point, the man lifted his head to meet her gaze, a second pair of eyes winking in and out of existence even as he struggled to hold his own emotions in.

"...help..."

She placed a hand on his temple and, through simple application of willpower, his original eyes closed and the second pair vanished altogether. His head lolled, and consciousness fled his body.

* * *

**_Your life is not your own._**

_What?_

_**You live to serve Him. He has bestowed His gift upon you for His benefit, not yours.**_

_Who? What are you trying to tell me?_

_**You were to destroy her. Why do you resist? His power is yours to command, if only you submit.**_

_ Submit to who? I don't understand__**!**_

* * *

Cyborg hefted their new prisoner and unceremoniously threw him over a titanium-allow shoulder, then turned to face the his friends. Starting toward the door, he halted as he approached the other Teens, then looked between Robin and Raven.

"So, uh, wait. Are we turning him in to the cops or what?"

"Not this time," The prodigious leader shook his head. "We want to at least talk to him first. Let's take him to the Tower, we can put him in one of the specialized holding cells."

Having reverted to his humanoid form, Beast Boy looked crestfallen. He spun on his heel and started grumbling once again.

"The only reason you have those cells is because _The Bat_ thinks one of us might _go crazy _or _betray you._ I swear, after what happened to Terra he got _waaaaaaaaaaaayyy_ too paranoid, even more than usual! Honestly, what does he think will happen? Are we gonna take over the world and rule it with an iron fist or something? What would we call ourselves, anyway? The Titan Lords?"

"...Trust me, Beast Boy, it could happen."

"Heeeeeyyy! What makes you say that!"

"...forget it..."

Starfire zipped in front of Robin, practically throwing herself on top of him, a hurt expression tainting her normally happy face.

"Robin! Do you truly think us capable of such heinous acts of betrayal? Please tell us that it is only your _knorfka_ who believes that we would commit this atrocity!" Starfire's face shifted from hurt to pleading as she floated before her dearest friend, her eyes begging him to give the answer she sought.

To his credit, Robin looked just as afraid of Starfire's possible reaction to the wrong answer as she was to hear it. For a moment, it seemed as though he wouldn't respond. Just when Starfire's eyes started showing signs of moisture and her lip began to quiver, his expression softened and he cracked a knowing smile.

"Star, I trust you, all of you, with my life. I would do anything to keep this team together, and if that means allowing Batman his own peace of mind, then I'm all for it, but not for a second do I believe any of you would betray us." The two of them held each other's eyes for a few moments, ever so slowly closing the distance between them with each passing sec-

"Hellllooooooooooooooooooooooo!? Are we gonna get moving now or what? I just got four new GameStation games and I didn't get to play them last night so..." The green-skinned young man trailed off expectantly, edging toward the door with every word.

"I'll put Bird Man here in the T-Car and meet y'all back at the tower. Speakin' of which, I'm hungry. Who's up for waffles?"

* * *

A bright light pierced the blackness surrounding the young man, interrupting his admittedly rather one-sided internal conversations and bringing him back to reality. Cringing in pain as his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in light intensity, he tried, and failed, to focus on his immediate surroundings, instead having his attention drawn to the enticing smell wafting up from the plate of-

_...waffles...?_

_ -_ on the table in front of him. Confused, he forced himself to study the other three figures in the room. Or rather, the other three figures sitting on the other side of a thick, transparent wall that surrounded him on all sides. Sitting in the chair directly across from him was the caped young man that had appeared to be the leader of the group. To either side of the masked hero were the hooded girl and the strange, green boy, who was scarfing down a plate of what looked like... _tofu_ waffles?

_Wait... why would you need tofu waffles? There's no meat in-_

"Awake already? Awwww _man!_ I bet Cy he'd be out cold another twenty minutes!" The green one's head dropped, and he skulked out of the room in shame, only to have a his head meet the floor in a hurry.

"Don't make bets on our guests." Raven quickly retracted her hand into her cloak as Beast Boy regained his feet and staggered out of the room. "Now, on to business," she turned to face the Dark Young Man, her voice emanating from a set of small speakers set into the ceiling. _Where to start? The basics, then._ "Who are you?"

The man regarded her with great interest, suspicion, confusion, and barely suppressed anger flitting across his face. Quickly stifling his emotions and regaining his composure, he began to speak.

"I'm... Jaymes. Jaymes Hale." He spoke slowly, unsure of just how much he wanted to reveal. Sure, he _had_ asked for their help, but, really, how much help can a few "heroes" give someone like him?

"We already know _who_ you are, you had your student ID in your wallet. What we really want to know is; _what_ are you?" Robin leaned forward in his chair to rest his arms on the table, staring intently into the Dark One's eyes as if, through them, he could see into the young man's very soul.

_After all that's happened to me, he probably can._

The two held that position, neither blinking or giving ground for several moments. The captive young man saw something in his counterpart's face, something about the way he looked at him, something about the way his aura resonated, that struck a chord within the young man. In that second, he felt a sense of kinship, a sense of shared loss, with the masked teen, and decided that this was someone he could open up to.

"You want the truth? To be perfectly honest... I don't know." Frustrated at his own inability to explain his situation, he decided to start with the aspects of the recent changes that were permanently plastered across his face for the whole world to see.

* * *

This latest development was troubling, to say the least. Not only was there a powerful, emotionally unstable psychic sitting directly across from where she was standing in a small, cramped containment cell, he was completely _untrained, untested, _and _unpredictable._ Following that line of thought, there was also the fact that his powers and... markings... had only manifested themselves less than a month ago. The strangest part of all being the remarkable similarity between his newfound abilities and her own. The blue chakra gem on his forehead was markedly similar in appearance to her own, but when she reached out to touch it with her mind, she instinctively recoiled. Through her mental contact, she could sense three distinctly separate entities. This implied that he, like her, had used his chakra to separate his emotions, however, unlike her, his was much more chaotic. Yet, amidst the constant struggle, there was some sort of emotional anchor, a sort of eye in the storm that his core personality clung to. It was, all at once, both completely alien and undeniably familiar.

Sensing a lull in the conversation between the room's other occupants, Raven withdrew her probe and shifted her concentration away from Jaymes' mind and back to his story.

* * *

_Ugh... my head... what the Hell...?_

_**Awake. Your time has come.**_

_ Wha- What?_

_**You will submit to his command.**_

_ Who- who are you? What are you doing in my head? What the Hell happened to my face?_

_**He has marked you with the Pheonix. He **__**WILL**__** be reborn again.**_

Jaymes groaned and opened his eyes. As he stood, his bare feet burned as the broken glass opened deep gashes along them, but those pains were easily overshadowed by the feeling that someone had speared his skull with a pike. And his face, God, his face burned.

_What's happening to me?_

That was when he heard the sickening coughs, and the sound of copious amounts of liquid splashing onto the ground on the other side of the door.

* * *

"Please, this next part... you have to understand... it wasn't me! I mean, it was me, but I didn't know what was happening! I had no control!" Jaymes was frantic, panicking even as he tried to convince his "captors' of his innocence before continuing. This continued for several more seconds before Robin assured him that they would hear the whole story before passing judgement.

Raven, however, could guess what had happened, for it was a fear that she had lived with her entire life. It was the reason she usually kept such a tight hold over her emotions; it was the reason she had struggled, day in and day out, to control her power. Not only had it been her most prominent motivator during training, but it had been the entire reason that the monks of Azarath had so insisted she focus on her meditations.

Steeling herself, she prepared to hear her greatest fears given life in the form of her worst nightmares.

* * *

Ignoring the fiery sensations quickly making themselves known to him throughout his body, Jaymes opened the bathroom door and stumbled into the hallway. He looked around for the source of the disturbing sound, and was met by a sight that froze him in his tracks, even as it burned itself onto his mind's eye in a way that he could never forget.

Leaning against the door, keys still in hand, was his mother. A shard of glass longer than his forearm had buried itself in her abdomen, pinning her in place, and dozens of smaller fragments had been embedded in her body in various places, severing innumerable veins and arteries and causing the massive bleeding which had alerted him to her presence. Rushing to her, he tried to kneel before her, only to have his legs collapse under him. He landed amongst the glass, further injuring his arms and hands as he instinctively tried to stop his fall. Once again steadying himself, he fought through the pain and reached a hand up to touch his mother's cheek, brushing a few strands of errant hair out of her face, sobbing as he did so.

_No... How? WHY?_

As his anger and despair swelled, he felt the presence from before begin to reassert itself. This time, he didn't have the strength to stop it. The burning on his face, which, by this point, had been reduced to a dull ache, began anew, and wind currents began to whip around the interior of the apartment, broken only by occasional flickers of red and black.

He stood, pain and exhaustion forgotten, and, against all logic, his feet began to slowly lift off of the ground, the wind becoming stronger and the energy pulses more frequent with each passing moment-

"Ja-Jaymes?"

He dropped to the floor, hard, legs once again failing to support him as all anger and sadness were forgotten and replaced by hope. He crawled back to his mother's seemingly lifeless form, and hurried to check her for any sign that what he had heard had been real.

His suspicions were confirmed as her eyes flitted open at his touch, only to close a second later as her body was wracked by a short, wheezing cough that sprayed more blood than it did spittle. She reopened her eyes and tried to turn her head to face him, only to have it drop as the first cough was followed by a series of ever-smaller and weaker coughs.

"Mom!" full-fledged tears running down his face, he gently cupped her head in his hands and turned it to face him, making eye contact and holding it as strongly as he could. "Mom! Stay with me! You'll be fine, just don't leave! Wait here, I'll go call an ambulance!" He lowered her head and tried to stand, but he was unable to gather the energy in his legs to do even that much.

"Wait," came the weak reply, and he turned to face her once again, "they can't help me. Just stay here with me." Despite her situation, she smiled. It was a peaceful smile, a smile of one who has resigned themselves to their fate. Then, as if seeing him for the first time, her smile shifted into a concerned scowl. "What happened to your face? Are you oh... oh..." Her voice trailed off, and her already labored breathing became erratic for a few, short seconds. Then, as if by conscious choice, her face relaxed, she coughed once more, and her breathing stopped altogether.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry about the late post. Yeah, I lied about the timing, so sue me.

Actually, no. Don't do that.

Reviews would be nice, though. I'd like to know what you guys think about my writing style, character development, etc. I'm somewhat devoid of editors, now.

College visits and summer work tend to interfere with writing time. I'm back in school now, to boot.

In other news, I just noticed that there is an old story with a similar title and concept to mine that was discontinued about seven years ago after two chapters. Meh, go figure.

I think mine's better. Mostly because I'm still writing it.

But that's just me.

* * *

The New Son of Trigon

Chapter Three

August 4, 2005

Teen Titans Tower, Jump City

Raven sat in her bed, dry eyes staring, unfocused, at the slowly rising sun on the horizon. She had attempted sleep several times throughout the night, but her thoughts kept returning to the captive. This man was unique, yet at the same time he was like her in so many ways that she couldn't help but compare him to herself. His own uncontrollable emotions and unrestrained powers drew parallel to the violent, rage-fueled episodes that would overcome her own deeply-ingrained emotional control before the defeat of her father. If someone who had trained for her entire life to control her own emotional state could cause so much destruction when she lost it, what kind of damage could an untrained meta with no understanding of his own, recently acquired powers create if allowed to run free? During the initial fight, however brief it was, she had sensed that he contained much more power than he had displayed, and yet, it was all raw, untapped potential.

Following this train of thought, and taking into consideration his taunting during the fight itself, she arrived at the unavoidable conclusion that had been plaguing her all night. The one question that had stood out among all others in the dark recesses of her mind.

There had to be a connection between him and that dammed demon Trigon, but what?

Based on his story, his own power had manifested just days after the would-be conqueror was defeated.

_But that doesn't make sense. if we assume that, somehow, he gets his power from Trigon, then that would mean that..._

_ ...the bastard might still be alive..._

_ How? It's the only explanation that makes sense, but how could it? Have these powers always lain dormant within him, or is this truly the first time they have manifested? I need to find out more from him. Maybe if I go back into his mind I can find something, anything, that can help me understand!_

Having decided upon a course of action, she stood and shook her head to clear it, stepping toward her closet to dress. No, thinking along these lines would only lead to more questions. For now, she only wanted one thing. She wanted to help him.

She wanted **him** to understand.

* * *

By the time Robin had finished questioning Jaymes about his past, it had been early evening. The Boy Wonder had said a few parting words, mumbled something about "confirming the information," and left for the night. At that point, Jaymes had decided that there was nothing else to do but get some sleep.

_Wow...that cot sucked. Still the best night's sleep I've had in weeks, though._

Something felt... different. He felt more relaxed, and less on edge. He almost felt like he could finally let his emotions free again. And yet... something stopped him. It was almost as though he heard a small voice in the back of his mind warning him away from that course of action. Feeling a growing sense of annoyance at both the dull ache in his lower back and the irritating sound originating from the table behind him, he rolled over and swung his legs onto the floor.

Standing, Jaymes stretched his arms to either side, twisting around to relieve the tension in his body. He shot an angry glare at the offending piece of furniture, then turned to regard his cell for the hundredth time since being confined. The room consisted of four glass walls, a metal table and chair, and the implausibly uncomfortable metal cot. He yanked the chair away from the table, turned it around, and dropped in.

Still shaking himself awake, he regarded the small group of items awaiting him on the table. At some point during the night, his captors had seen fit to return a large portion of his possessions, meager though they may be, and to remove the empty waffle plate. Sitting in front of him was a well-read fantasy novel, two t-shirts, his watch, his wallet, a pair of boxers, and the jacket and gloves he had been wearing when he was brought in, but without his bag or his provisions. The tinny _beep_-ing of the watch's alarm had awoken him.

_I guess I can't really call them "captors," since, technically, I asked _them_ for help._

_Wait... if they let me keep this stuff, then maybe..._

Jaymes' eyes went wide and he lunged for his jacket, shoving his hands into the closed pocket in the inner lining, groping around for what was, without a doubt, his most prized possession.

* * *

The first light of the new day filtered in through the tinted windows of the halls of Titans Tower as Raven moved silently toward the holding cells, feet mere centimeters from the ground, cloak lazily thrown over her shoulders. She had flown out of her room in haste, deadset on her goal of aiding the young man in the cell,_ Jaymes_, she kept reminding herself, _his name is Jaymes,_ but halfway to the elevator she realized that she had no idea where to begin. Thus the lack of sleep finally caught up with her, and she currently found herself hovering outside the security door to the cell, hand poised over the keypad, struggling to keep her eyes open even as she tried to focus on what she was doing here.

_This is stupid. I shouldn't be this tired after one sleepless night. I've gone days without sleep just to read. _Spurred on by her spiteful thoughts, Raven withdrew her hand, inhaled deeply, and settled into a floating meditative position, exhaling as she crossed her legs. She focused on her breathing and, as she had done thousands of times before, began to chant. This time, however, she had a slightly different goal in mind.

* * *

Jaymes settled into a cross-legged position, forgoing the chair in favor of the floor, and placing the object he had retrieved from the jacket on the floor in front of him. He breathed deeply for a few moments, not letting the object out of his sight for an instant as, on the third exhale, he began.

"Action is a Reflection of Emotion.

Action is a Reflection of Emotion.

Action is a Reflection of Emotion.

Action is a Ref-"

* * *

"-etrion, Zinthos.

Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos"

Raven felt her focus turn inward, to the nearly limitless reservoir of power within her, and as she tapped into that vast energy, she felt her physical body strengthen in response. There was something else, though, some sort of psychic pressure on the edges of her mind, almost as though a part of her was trapped outside of where it belonged. She hesitated, unsure of the implications of such a feeling, and took stock of her own mind.

* * *

"-lection of Emotion.

Action is a Reflection of Emotion."

Jaymes continued his meditative chant as steadily as he held his gaze on the object in front of him, at the same time concentrating on the strange new presence he felt near the limit of his senses. At first it was unnoticeable, merely an imperceptible shape in the haze that had surrounded him since he had been put in the cell, but then it had flared up, a shining beacon in the dark fog that obscured everything. So, curious as to what could possibly be so powerful, he reached out to the presence, and pushed.

* * *

The pressure was getting stronger. It seemed to be actively trying to enter her mindscape, now. Without her mirror, Raven had been unable to determine if one of her "emoticlones" had somehow been trapped outside of her mind. Only now, as she remembered where she was, did she realize that she may have withdrawn too hastily from Jaymes' mind during the questioning.

_Could I have left a fragment of my mind within his own? That could certainly explain this feeling. Or, I could be hallucinating from sleep deprivation, along with the strain of sustaining myself with my own psychic energy. I guess there's only one way to find out._

Steeling herself, Raven turned all of her attention to the anomaly and gradually lowered that section of her mental defenses, preparing her mind to confront whatever it was that seemed to think it was part of her.

* * *

Jaymes had been incrementally increasing the amount of strength behind each push against the defenses of the brilliant, psychic light until, finally, the opposition relented, and he was allowed entry within the bounds of the energy source. As he entered, his curiosity jumped, eagerly exploring and probing this strange, yet oddly familiar, mindscape until he came across something that stopped him in his tracks. The entire world shifted around him, becoming dark and foreboding, the ground splitting at his feet only to fall apart into a series of interconnected rocky platforms all hovering at different heights and angels in the strange new area. The light and energy which had seemed so inviting earlier had all but vanished, and he now felt as if he were trapped within a mental prison as well as the physical.

A sudden flash of red caught his eye, and he spun on his spiritual heel to find the source, but there was nothing in sight save rocks and empty space.

Yet another flash to his left caused him to spin again, still seeing rocks and empty space. That wasn't the only thing, this time.

This time, he saw Raven in her usual garb, save one detail.

Her cloak and hood were red.

A panic came over Jaymes as he stood, staring at the Titans' resident hooded psychic, stunned by the latest turn of events.

_No! I have to get out of here! I will NOT get stuck again!_

Jaymes made one final spin to face the direction he had come from, only to bump into the very girl he had just turned away from, only now her hood had been thrown back and, as her glowing red eyes pierced his soul, he found himself unable to move any further. The red Raven drew back, now hovering several feet above the rocky platform, and threw out her arms, a wave of dark power flowing from her fingertips as she did so, never breaking eye contact with Jaymes. The black energy swirled outward in an ever-expanding spiral as it surrounded the both of them.

Panic turned to fear, then abject horror as the shadowy vortex contracted, swallowing both himself and the red Raven in a blanket of pure Rage.

* * *

Craggy rocks and pathways rushed past to either side as Raven sped through her own mindscape, desperately seeking the source of the unprecedented emotional storm that had just assaulted her core self. It had taken a few seconds, but she had recovered quickly enough to realize that, not only had Jaymes managed to reach out to her from within the psychic suppression field of the containment cell, he had been able to bring not just a fragment or a probe, as she had expected, but his entire _self_ into her mind. However, she came to this conclusion too late; he was already within her mind, which meant that each and every one of her emoticlones were now aware of his presence, as well.

_That _idiot!_ Making a stupid mistake like this, what was he thinking? Any psychic, even untrained, should know to __**never**__ take your full being into another without prior consent!_

Her silent admonitions went unheard as she continued her hurried flight through the hellish, metaphysical realm. Somehow, she had been dragged into the deepest recesses of her mind when Anger had attacked Jaymes, something she was normally unable to do without the aid of her mirror or another similar magical artifact. Strangely, she had yet to encounter any of her other emotions. Normally they would have greeted her within moments of her arrival, even Timidity, but this time they were nowhere to be found.

A resounding scream interrupted her musings, and she put on one last burst of speed before she circled around one of the numerous, bland hunks of rock and stopped short.

Raven instinctively recoiled, moving back several meters as she could not help but stare at the colossal cyclone of emotional instability within her own mind, somehow having formed without her own mental discipline holding it back.

Once again caught off guard, Raven willed herself into action, moving with renewed energy as she hurtled straight into the storm.

* * *

Red.

Black.

**_Why have you returned?_**

The question echoed through Jaymes' incorporeal form as swirling mass of _hatred_ continued to shrink with each passing second.

"What is this? What are you doing to me?" He all but shouted, again trying to move, to run, to do _anything_ to escape, and finding himself immobile. The crushing psychic pressure bearing down on him held him still even as his feet left the ground, his body held aloft by the same power that kept him still.

**_You struggle in vain. You have no right to be here, nor do you possess any power over this mind. You should not have returned. Now I will rend you to pieces and rid this world, and every other, of your corruption._**

Jaymes howled in pain as his head was wrenched back, the pain of which felt as real as if it had happened to his physical body, vertebrae grinding until he was face to face with the red-cloaked horror that held him captive. Beneath the bloody garment, her body was shrouded in shadow, and both her and the cloak appeared to stretch on forever, looking as if they had become a part of the violent spiral that encased them.

**_You were foolish to enter with your entire self, but I suppose that just makes what I'm about to do easier, doesn't it?_**

A bright, red bolt of lightning highlighted his assailant's face, her eyes wide and full of hate, her mouth twisted in a primal snarl even as she spoke directly to his soul.

**_Return to the Hell from which you were spawned!_**

Raven threw her arms out, and roared with an animalistic fury-

"Anger! Stop this!"

-only to be cut off as a dark blue shape impacted her from behind, sending them both careening into Jaymes, and all three of them into the ground just outside of the now rapidly-dissipating storm.

The landing knocked the breath out of him, leaving him a ragged, gasping mess as he tried to regain his composure.

_What the Hell? Why does this hurt so much? I didn't even feel anything last time._

At the sounds of fighting, he forced himself to his feet and, painfully, turned to regard his savior.

* * *

_Well. That hurt._

Raven held her ground, having thrown Anger off to the side after they had hit Jaymes, squaring off against her emoticlone. She spared the terrified young man a glance, but then returned her full attention to Anger.

"What do you think you're doing? Why did you attack him?"

Anger, on hands and knees, brought her eyes up to meet Raven's, their red glow steadily intensifying.

"He does not belong here!" Anger levitated upright, moving toward Raven slowly and deliberately, speaking as she closed the distance between them. "We cast him out before and we will do it again! No more must we fear his power, for we possess it, and he is weak. Whatever pathetic scraps he retains, we will take for ourselves! It is rightfully ours!'

"That is _not_ Trigon! Whatever he may be, whatever it _feels_ like he is, he is not Trigon! _He is not my father!_" Raven howled, giving her recent fears free reign and granting Anger a brief smirk as she bled over into Raven's normally-calm demeanor. Recognizing what she had just allowed, Raven's head dropped, the hood of her cloak shrouding her face, and her warped expression settled back into tranquil indifference.

_That was bad, I can't slip up like that again, not when Anger is like this._

Raven brought her hand to her hood and threw it back. locking eyes with the embodiment of her suppressed anger and rage.

"I can't allow you to do this. Please, Anger, stand down." Raven implored her emoticlone, knowing full well the futility of appealing to the emotions _of_ _an emotion_. Anger stiffened in response, her body tense and ready for action.

* * *

Shock and disbelief warred for dominance on Jaymes' face, the last traces of his fear being overshadowed by the most recent development surrounding his metaphysical exploits.

_Two Ravens? Wha- how?_

The pieces started to fall together while he contemplated the exchange that the two were having.

_ Wait. She called it "Anger"..._

_ Could her mind be broken?_

Determination quickly replaced confusion, his mind settling on a course of action.

_If it is, I have to help._

_ Nobody should live the way I do._

* * *

Anger charged, closing the distance between herself and Raven who, to her credit, didn't so much as flinch. At the last second, when Anger was nanoseconds from making contact with a reckless, full-body tackle, Raven dashed to her left in a blur. Her attacker, now behind her, circled around for another pass, but the teen hero stood fast yet again, gathering her own power for a fierce counterattack. Her intentions did not extend to simply defeating this fundamental part of her consciousness, but to contain it, as she had been doing for her entire life.

Without turning, Raven expanded her conscious mind into her subconscious, immediately becoming perfectly aware of the state of her mind, as well as all activities and stray thoughts happening within. It was as though she had been granted a perfect view of her inner self. She knew exactly who she was at any given moment, and who she could be in the future, so long as she allowed herself the freedom to become it.

Through her omnipotent perception of her mind, body, and soul, she was made painfully aware of one, inexplicable fact.

Jaymes was active again, and not just active.

He was throwing himself between her projected body and Anger.

* * *

The dark young man sprinted toward Raven, intent on doing anything within his power to help her. Instead of wondering how or why her mind was split in the way it appeared to be, he focused all of his power and mental strength into a single, specific thought.

_STOP!_

The command echoed through the mindscape, carrying with it a powerful, authoritarian air. As his astral body skidded to a halt, Jaymes raised his arms in an "X," hands clenched into fists, and his entire being was overcome with pure instinct. A midnight-black mental barrier, framed with a slight red hue, sprung to life before his arms, and spread out to form a protective half-sphere that encompassed both himself and Raven.

Cackling at the pitiful attempt to stop her, Anger continued her charge, increasing the speed of her attack. Rage met single-minded determination in a flash of shadow, sending bolts of energy cascading in all directions and obscuring Jaymes' vision. With the seeming lack of immediate danger, the concentration he had subconsciously been using to hold up the protective shield vanished, as did the shield itself.

Taking a step forward, he drew his arms apart, feeling his own anger well up within him.

"You.."

Another step, and the dark fog began to clear.

"...will not..."

One more, and he was granted a clear view of Anger lying on the ground, panting.

"...**harm**..."

He drew his arms back, and the energy that had been slowly building up crackled down to his hands and coalesced into dark talons extending from each finger.

"**... ANYONE!**"

Halting within arm's reach of the red figure, Jaymes glared into her eyes, his own seething with hatred as he forced all of his inner strength into a single, finishing blow, intent on forever destroying this chaotic, fragmented-

-only to feel all of his anger and resentment fade away as a hand came to rest on his shoulder, stopping his attack within a hair's breadth of connecting with Anger. Confusion filled the void, so he succumbed to his curiosity and turned to view the owner of the hand.

"Raven? Wha-?"

* * *

Raven was the embodiment of serenity, the majority of her mind perfectly under her control. Her usual blue robes had been replaced by a flowing garment of the purest white. She exuded a confident calm, the likes of which many will never see in their lifetime, that formed itself into a bright aura surrounding her body, keeping the dark, swirling energies of her mindscape at bay.

With Jaymes subdued, she turned her attention to her errant personality fragment and addressed the issue at hand.

"Anger, you must relent. This man is of no threat to us and, though uninvited, he is still a guest in our mind. Cease this meaningless aggression."

Anger glared, unflinching, into the White Raven's eyes, four meeting two in a silent battle of wills fought between two aspects of the same person. Finally, Anger, sighed, and dropped her gaze, then turned to face Jaymes.

"You are lucky, outsider, that you are in her good graces. If not for her intervention, I would have purged your disease from existence. Do not trespass here again, or you will not be so fortunate." With one final, indignant huff, Anger slowly regained her footing, spun about on her heel and strode toward Raven, growling as she did so.

Raven, in turn, stood tall, uncaring as her emoticlone walked straight toward, and _into_ her, vanishing in a small flash.

Jaymes, having no easily prepared or readily available responses, resorted to his usual method of dealing with such situations.

He stared, a confused and exhausted look on the projected representation of his perceived self.

"I... have no idea what just happened. I'm sorry about this. I-"

"That will be all, Jaymes."

"What?"

Raven spared him a final look, then pulled back her hood and raised her hand and gestured toward Jaymes, who was then overcome by a powerful sense of vertigo. Driven to his knees by the sensation, he managed to lower himself to a seated position and cross his legs, stabilizing him and preventing him from falling onto his face.

After a few seconds of focusing solely on stabilizing his breathing, he finally noticed the floor upon which he sat.

Not rock.

Floor.

A muted hissing brought him out of his stupor, and drew his attention to the blue-clad figure stumbling through the door, a ragged expression on her face and sweat rolling down her cheek.

Her breathing mirrored his own, and she shambled over to the table, withdrawing and collapsing into the metal chair outside the cell.

He stood, pulled out his own chair and took a seat opposite her.

She flipped a switch on the outside table, and a faint crackling heralded the activation of the hidden intercom.

"We need to talk."

* * *

End notes: I'm just going to say one last thing, my own "parting words", if you will.

Hughes? HUGHES! NO! Why? WHY!


End file.
